The 31-year-old missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury. He was a minus-2 in just over 17 minutes of ice time during his team's 5-2 loss in Game 1.
Girardi will draw in for fellow veteran blue-liner Dan Boyle, who did not take warmups prior to Saturday's game. Boyle, who has said he will likely retire after this season, had one assist in the opening four games of the series.
It was later revealed the Rangers would be going with seven defensemen with Raphael Diaz taking the seventh spot. Forward Tanner Glass joins Boyle as a scratch.
Patrik Laine's highlight tape on NHL Draft night could exclusively be from his performance in the postseason over in Finland.
The projected top three draft pick has nine goals in 16 postseason games for Liiga's Tappara Tampere. What's more, though, is these goals aren't cheap - all nine are first-rate finishes.
The Pittsburgh Penguins No. 1 goaltender, out since the end of March with a concussion, wore full equipment and took shots in a workout prior to Game 5.
He's still unlikely to factor in the remainder of Pittsburgh's first-round series versus the New York Rangers, which could end as soon as Saturday afternoon.
Matt Murray, who shook off the ill-effects of a head injury in time for Game 3, has been splendid in place of Fleury. He's allowed one goal on 48 shots, winning Games 3 and 4 on the road.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw could only watch Thursday's Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues as he had to serve a one-game suspension after yelling a homophobic slur at an official.
After Patrick Kane scored the overtime winner, it's hard to imagine any Blackhawks player felt more relieved than Shaw.
"It was a huge relief, obviously," Shaw said to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "Probably tougher to watch than to play, especially in a tight game like that."
The 24-year-old admitted his last few days have been "tough," but said he will learn from his mistake. Now, Shaw heads into a must-win game with an increased role as he will skate on the team's top line with Kane and Jonathan Toews.
"I know what I need to do when I play with those two guys," Shaw said, after noting his lone shift in the series with Toews and Kane resulted in a Duncan Keith goal. "They're obviously great with the puck, and I'm going to do what I can to get to the net and create some havoc there."
Shaw will hope to live up to the opportunity he's been given by Quenneville - who enters Saturday with a 14-1 all-time record in Game 6s, with a perfect 8-0 mark on the road.
Just 10 days into the postseason, 22 different goaltenders have already appeared in at least two playoff games, thrusting a band of lesser-known netminders into the spotlight.
Here's three goalies who started less than 40 regular-season games, but have made a surprising impact thus far in April.
Thomas Greiss, New York Islanders
After a groin injury to Jaroslav Halak vaulted Greiss into the Islanders' starting job, the 30-year-old has kept his team alive in its first-round battle with the Florida Panthers.
Greiss boasts an impressive .938 save percentage and a 2.09 goals-against average through five games, and has outdueled four-time All-Star Roberto Luongo in a pair of overtime games - including a 47-save performance in a double-OT thriller Friday.
His impressive play shouldn't come as a huge surprise, as he finished the regular season with the third-best save percentage (.925) among qualified goaltenders behind Brian Elliott and Ben Bishop.
With one more win in Brooklyn on Sunday, Greiss could backstop his club to its first playoff series win since 1993.
Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
Late-season head injuries to both Murray and No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury put the Penguins' goaltending situation in turmoil ahead of their first-round series against the New York Rangers, but after Jeff Zatkoff kept the series level through two games, it's the rookie who's been nearly unbeatable since.
The 21-year-old Murray wasn't too busy in his playoff debut, stopping 16-of-17 shots for the Game 3 victory. In Game 4, however, Murray truly shone, blanking the Rangers with a 36-save shutout.
Though it still doesn't appear that Fleury is close to a return, Murray's current play could leave head coach Mike Sullivan with a very tough decision should the Penguins advance to the second round.
Regular Season
W
L
O
Sv%
GAA
SO
Fleury
35
17
6
.921
2.29
5
Murray
9
2
1
.930
2.00
1
Michal Neuvirth, Philadelphia Flyers
Like Greiss, Neuvirth boasted impressive stats in limited action (.924 save percentage in 32 games) this season, but after a late-season meniscus tear, it was unclear if his health would be compromised for the playoffs.
Instead, the 28-year-old has come back better than ever.
In just three starts (one regular season, two postseason) since suffering the injury on March 16, Neuvirth boasts a 1.00 goals-against average and an outstanding .968 save percentage, thanks in large part to his 44-save shutout Friday that kept the Flyers' playoff hopes alive.
Date
Opp.
Saves
GA
Result
Apr 10
NYI
15
2
5-2 Win
Apr 20
WSH
31
1
2-1 Win
Apr 22
WSH
44
0
2-0 Win
The ex-Washington Capitals netminder faces the tall task of carrying his team all the way back from a 3-0 series deficit - a rare feat accomplished by the Flyers just six years ago against the Boston Bruins.
Targeting Brayden Schenn wasn't just part of the Capitals' game plan after the Flyers winger's shameless, opportunistic cross-check to the backside of Evgeny Kuznetsov's knees in Game 4.
In this case, retribution took rank.
"We were really unhappy with a play that (Schenn) made on (Kuznetskov) last game, so," said Oshie, who defended his teammate with a scrap off the opening faceoff, said according to Ava Wallace of the Washington Post. "Had to be done."
But why the 190-pound Oshie, he of four career fights?
Defenseman Karl Alzner appreciated Oshie answering the call.
"It was amazing. It definitely lights a fire under you," Alzner said. "We weren't expecting that. I think the team was already pretty fired up to play this game and then to see that - not just a grappling match, but just throwing them - is a fun way to get everyone going.
"I guess they were talking before the puck dropped. I have no idea what they were saying exactly, but it was good to see (Oshie) do that."
Joe Thornton and his wonderfully tangled, two-toned face mane are on to the second round.
So, to acknowledge the disregarded San Jose Sharks, and their exorcising of every demon Friday, we acknowledge the beard effectively reflecting the ethos of a team who finally seems at ease, and one that can now let go of a tormenting history.
Break out the beard oil, and enjoy:
They say it's been four months since Thornton's trimmed the hedges. He'll hope its at least one more before he can think about clippers.
Thornton scored 64 points - the second-most in the NHL - in his 53 regular-season games since the mid point in December. Or around the time he did away with grooming products.
It isn't, however, quite full enough to conceal the delight of defeating the Los Angeles Kings. Not yet anyway.
It's influence now awaits the winner of Ducks-Predators.
Oh, and we'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge his grizzly inspiration:
Despite the face-first collision opening a gash in the center's head, coach Gerard Gallant would not rule the 23-year-old out for Game 6.
"He got some stitches in his head there, I know that, but besides that I don't know anything more," Gallant said, according to Sportsnet's Thomas Drance. "I don't think it's that serious but we'll see tomorrow."
Bjugstad recorded four points in the first three games of the series, but has been held off the scoresheet in his past two.
After being eliminated by the Los Angeles Kings in their last two postseason appearances, the San Jose Sharks finally got their revenge by taking their first-round series in five games with a 6-3 victory on Friday.
One man especially happy to see the Kings fall was Sharks forward Logan Couture, who sounded off on the two-time Cup champions after a three-assist performance.
"Throughout the last couple of years, things have been said by players on that team that to me, personally, I take it as disrespectful," he said, according to Greg Beacham of The Associated Press. "So it was nice to stick it to them and beat them in this series.
"Even this series, someone was saying on their team that they had us right where they wanted us. I wonder if they've got us where they want us now? So it was nice beat them."
Couture was referring to comments made by defenseman Drew Doughty, who alluded the pressure was on the Sharks after Los Angeles won Game 3 - drawing parallels to 2014 when the Kings came back from a 3-0 series deficit against San Jose to advance to the conference finals.
The Sharks now await the winner of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators, currently locked at two games apiece. With one win versus each club, San Jose sported a disappointing 2-5-0 record against their potential second-round opponents during the regular season.
After his final Stanley Cup Playoffs run came to an end earlier than he must have expected, Los Angeles Kings center Vincent Lecavalier declined the opportunity to address his anticipated retirement.
The 36-year-old former No. 1 overall pick, who accepted a lifeline from the Kings after a largely unsuccessful run of two-and-a-half seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, said he will wait to comment until he completes his exit interviews.
Lecavalier has plainly stated prior that retirement occurs at the end of the season - a condition believed to be worked out before his acquisition.
He's owed $6 million with a $4.5 million total cap hit over the next two seasons, due to be split between the Kings and Flyers.
